MMA
Valentina Shevchenko knows Amanda Nunes trilogy will happen, dismisses Weili Zhang superfight
Valentina Shevchenko is a significant favorite heading into her third defense of the UFC women's flyweight championship against Katlyn Chookagian, the co-main event of Saturday's UFC 247 from the Toyota Center in Houston. According to Sportsbook Bovada, Shevchenko is sitting at -1400, which is the most significant number on the show.
The reason that number is so high is Shevchenko's dominance in the sport: She's 18-3 with a 7-2 mark inside the octagon. Both of her UFC losses have come to current women's bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes. The dual champion won the first battle at UFC 196 in March 2016 via unanimous decision. They met 18 months later at UFC 215 in September 2017, with Nunes winning by split-decision in a fight many pundits felt should have gone Shevchenko's way.
In the buildup to UFC 247, the talk has been centered around a trilogy between Nunes and Shevchenko — instead of Chookagian. Shevchenko isn't looking past the No. 1 contender, but knows she and Nunes will cross paths again.
"I won that (second) fight, and everybody knows it," Shevchenko told DAZN News. "Right now, I’m focused on the flyweight (division) right now. I’m thinking about my division to defend my belt as much (many) times as I can. But I know that the (Amanda Nunes) fight is going to happen sometime in the future. It’s just going to happen. As I’m saying all the time, when it’s going to happen, I will be ready."
Another name many consider as a future opponent for Shevechenko: women's strawweight champion Weili Zhang. When the Peruvian hears Zhang's name, she reminds everyone that the new 115-pound titleist has some work to do before any talk of such a fight can begin.
"You forgot one more, you forgot Henry Cejudo (laughs)," Shevchenko said. "I’m totally fine with super fights. If I fight Amanda, of course, it would be a superfight.
"If I fight the Chinese girl, Weili, I don’t mind to fight her, but I think it’s not fair when a person jumps over the head and gets an opportunity just for nothing. Everyone’s working hard for this opportunity. To give this opportunity to someone who a few months ago, no one knew the (her) name.
"I think it’s totally unfair because she has to prove that she’s the best in her own division. She won the title. It’s fine. But she still has to prove it against like top contenders Joanna (Jedrzejczyk), (former champion) Rose (Namajunas). So it’s a lot of tests for her. And before she proves she’s there and she’s No. 1 over there. She don’t dare to claim any super fight with no one."
Before Shevchenko can think about Nunes or Zhang, she has a stern test ahead of her. Chookagian (13-2) enters UFC 247 winning her last two bouts and five of her previous six. What she has done to get the opportunity hasn't impressed Shevchenko in the slightest; she plans on running through Chookagian and inching closer to bigger fights.
"She’s an MMA fighter," Shevchenko said. "She likes to fight stand-up. She’s probably saying her reach is going to help her during the fight. But I say no. It’s not going to help her at all because I’m a fighter who knows how to manage the distance, who knows how to turn it into your favor. I know her style. I know what to expect from her. I know even what she doesn’t know. And that’s why (Katlyn) is not a problem for me. I will go there and be myself, show my style, show my game and make sure I make her fight in the middle."
